Three Reasons Why Celebrity Marketing Campaigns Outperform Other Ads

Three different ways to exceed campaign goals using easy-to-grasp product differentiation and message cut-through.

1. Cross Promotional Leverage

Often times, a brand or celebrity has the chance to cross promote in order to gain leverage. Aside from saving money by allocating expenses with a cross-promotion partner, there are a variety of benefits that come with this approach. A company or product can gain credibility through using a well-known celebrity and, in turn, the celebrity has the chance to gain a new fan base through endorsements. Simultaneously, the collaboration has a greater chance of being remembered by audiences for its unique approach, rather than just featuring unknown actors in a television spot.

A noteworthy and creative example would be the collaboration between Lipton Iced Tea and The Muppets (owned by Disney). The original 60-second “Be More Tea” spot launched during the 2014 Oscars and featured the puppet gang taking over New York City. In recent years, the Oscars have become just as much about brand and product promotion as film recognition, so it was a great place to air this collaboration. Lipton was able to use The Muppets to publicize their new campaign, while Disney could use the brand to endorse their new film “Muppets Most Wanted.” The spot garnered 1.3 million views on Lipton’s Youtube page in the first month and over 26.3 million views for Muppet related content that year.

Through partnering with celebrities or people of a different industry, companies are often more likely to attract the media attention they desire. Featuring specific individuals and unique content also separates a brand or company from the competition.

2. Garner PR, Buzz, Talkability

It can be difficult for older brands to start conversations in a social media heavy world. Advertisements, even good ones, can get lost in the clutter that viewers receive daily. Therefore, using a well-known and generally liked celebrity can help generate PR and buzz.

A popular celebrity, Mila Kunis generated millions of impressions within the first days of the release. Simultaneously, hundreds of online media outlets picked up Jim Beam’s press release. The initial campaign received hundreds of millions of media impressions worldwide.

Signing Kunis as brand ambassador documents a historical moment for the brand itself as she is the first female face of Jim Beam. The actress brought a sense of warmth and familiarity, which appealed to millennials and ensured the brand instant popularity.

3. Builds an Emotional Connection to the brand

Sometimes, it isn’t specifically the celebrity or product that builds a connection, but the emotions aroused in the viewer.

During Super Bowl XLVII in 2013, Dodge Ram released their “So God Made a Farmer” commercial featuring the voice of a postmortem Paul Harvey. The spot featured legendary radio broadcaster, Paul Harvey, delivering a speech made in 1978 about the importance of farmers in America. The content was considered personal, intimate, and played on the heartstrings of baby boomers everywhere who remembered listening to Harvey’s program. The commercial earned over 1 million views in less than 5 days and product sales rose 3% that month.

People feel that the success of this advertisement stems from the emotion evoked from viewers. The content in the spot allows for feelings of nostalgia, pride, and nationalism, while subtly selling a long-standing American vehicle.

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I'm Bob Williams, CEO| Speaker | Author of The Brand Agent

The Brand Agent provides resources on how to build brands through celebrities, music and sports.

Celebrity marketing requires special knowledge and skills. My articles are intended to help save you time, money and frustration.

Over my career, I have led in negotiating thousands of celebrity contracts and helped match small and large brands with the right celebrity. I’m glad to share my celebrity marketing expertise with you.